Physician Licensure

Healthcare professionals must obtain a medical license in the state where they wish to administer care. States are granted the right to regulate the practice of medicine in order to ensure that those administering care within the state’s boundaries are fully competent.

For decades, the issue of licensure was simple, meaning that if a physician wished to practice medicine within a specific state, they would first need to seek medical licensure. However, with the onset of telehealth in the administration of care, these once clearly defined legal and regulatory lines have now become blurred because physicians can physically be in one state and simultaneously administer care to a patient in another state. As a result, once basic practices pertaining to physician licensure have become more complex. For more in-depth descriptions of state laws and licensure requirements, review the below map.